A deputy from his own office testified for the prosecution against Beaver County Sheriff George David in his trial on charges of obstructing justice, terroristic threats, simple assault and intimidation of a witness.

The lead witness at the trial of Beaver County Sheriff George David testified he was in fear for his life when David menaced him with a blackjack and a gun during an angry tirade inside the Sheriff's Office.

Sgt. Michael Tibolet admitted on the stand Tuesday that he initially lied to state police and said nothing happened when they asked him about allegations against David. But he said when he was called before a grand jury, he "wanted to come forward and tell the truth." His testimony could help both the prosecution and the defense.

Tibolet told jurors that the sheriff did pull out his blackjack and draw his gun during a stormy meeting with reporter John Paul Vranesevich of the Beaver Countian website, but he testified he didn't see or hear the reporter himself directly threatened. He pointed out that he had left the room for up to 10 minutes during the two hour encounter.

Tibolet said he heard the sheriff tell the reporter, "If he were to die tomorrow, he'd kill (Beaver County Times reporter) J.D. Prose. He said he also heard David say "if he were to die tomorrow, he'd kill (Beaver County prothonotary) Nancy Werme."

Tibolet said he was shocked and stunned by what he saw and heard -- that David's emotions were rising as he was yelling and screaming.

He described the sheriff pulling out the blackjack, slamming it down and saying, "this is what we would use in Aliquippa."

He said the sheriff also pulled out his gun and pointed it at an angle down across the table, with his finger on the trigger.

"He never pointed a gun at John Paul Vranesevich and said 'I'll blow your brains out,' did he?" defense attorney Lee Rothman asked Tibolet during cross examination. The witness said he did not.

The sergeant depicted David as ranting against media coverage and pressing Vranesevich to report his side.

Tibolet said when he later told the sheriff the remarks could be taken as a serious threat, David told him, "Don't ever fudging repeat that again".

As for why he initially lied to investigators, Tibolet said it was out of concern for his family and his career and that he feared losing his job in the Sheriff's Office.

On Monday, Vranesevich testified he was in fear for his life when David allegedly menaced him with a blackjack and a gun during an angry tirade inside the sheriff's office. David is also charged with threatening to cut off a political campaign worker's hands.

Vranesevich testified David became very upset and irrational during their meeting, shouting at the top of his lungs, shaking and swearing at him during the encounter.

"I'm going to beat you to a pulp, like I beat those people in Aliquippa,'" Vranesevich quoted David as saying after the sheriff allegedly pulled out a blackjack.

He claimed David also threatened if he wrote the "wrong story" he would "blow your brains out."

Vranesevich claimed David aimed his service weapon directly at him with his finger on the trigger and waived the weapon around during the incident. The witness claims the sheriff also talked about wanting to shoot a Beaver County Times reporter and Beaver County Prothonotary Nancy Werme.

"It is our hope that we will be able to show that this is a fabricated event," David's defense attorney Lee Rothman told Pittsburgh's Action News 4 after the first day of testimony. "We don't believe that this happened and we hope that my client will be acquitted after the jury hears all the testimony in this case," Rothman said.

During opening statements, the prosecution said that the case is about "absolute power corrupting absolutely." Deputy State Attorney General Laurel Brandstetter cited the incident in David's office, in which he's accused of threatening Vranesevich and waving his firearm at the man. He's also accused of later intimidating Tibolet in connection with the same incident.

The defense made attempts to discredit Vranesevich, who operates the Beaver Countian website, by calling him a blogger, not a journalist, and comparing his work to The National Enquirer and Star Magazine.

While acknowledging that the case is indeed about power, the defense claimed that it was another one of the county's elected officials -- prothonotary Werme -- who was using her political power against David, and Rothman claimed they will prove it during the trial.

Prosecutors claim that a David supporter coughed the word "liar" as a witness took the stand Monday. David's attorney said he did not hear it.

Spectators in the courtroom were warned about their behavior by Mercer County Senior Judge Francis Fornelli, who is presiding over the trial.

"This is not the World Cup," Fornelli said. "You don't get to root." He warned he could issue contempt of court citations and fines.

"Knock it off, or you may not be going home today," cautioned the judge.

The 67-year-old David has been under house arrest while awaiting trial. He has not been removed from his elected position as sheriff.

TWO POLICE OFFICERS WILL BE DECERTIFIED. THE POLICE CHIEF SAYS THEY'LL REMAIN ON THE STREET PENDING THEIR APPEALS. NEW INFORMATION TONIGHT, A LOCAL SHERIFF ON TRIAL, ACCUSED OF THREATENING A REPORTER WITH HIS GUN. WE'VE TOLD YOU THE DEFENSE CLAIMS THE STORY IS COMPLETELY MADE UP AND IT TURNS OUT SOMEONE HAS BEEN LYING. PITTSBURGH ACTION NEWS 4 REPORTER BOB MAYO IS LIVE WITH WHO'S NOW FESSING UP. BOB? Reporter: A DEPUTY FROM THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE SAYS HE WAS LYING INITIALLY WHEN HE SAID THAT NOTHING HAPPENED, BUT NOW HE'S A WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION AND GIVING A LOT OF DETAILS OF WHAT HE SAYS HE DID SEE AND HEAR. SERGEANT, THE MAN IN THE WHITE SHIRT, ADMITS HE INITIALLY LIED TO POLICE AND SAID NOTHING HAPPENED, BUT HE SAYS WHEN HE WAS CALLED BEFORE A GRAND JURY, HE WANTED TO COME FORWARD AND TELL THE TRUTH. HIS TESTIMONY COULD HELP BOTH THE PROSECUTION AND THE DEFENSE. HE SAYS SHERIFF GEORGE DAVID DID PULL OUT BOTH HIS BLACKJACK AND DRAW HIS GUN DURING A STORMING MEETING WITH A REPORTER OF THE BEAVER COUNTY WEBSITE. HE SAYS HE DID NOT SEE OR HEAR THE REPORTER HIMSELF DIRECTLY THREATENED, BUT HE SAYS SHERIFF DAVID TOLD THE REPORTER, QUOTE, IF HE WERE TO DIE TOMORROW, HE'D KILL BEAVER COUNTY TIMES REPORTER J.D. PROSE. IF HE WERE TO DIE TOMORROW, HE'D KILL NANCY WORMY. HE SAYS HE WAS SHOCKED AND STUNNED BY WHAT HE SAW AND HEARD. THE SHERIFF DAVID'S EMOTIONS WERE RISING AS HE WAS YELLING AND SCREAMING. HE SAYS SHERIFF DAVID PULLED OUT THE BLACKJACK, SLAMMED IT DOWN AND SAID, THIS IS WHAT WE'D USE IN ALIQUIPPA, THEN THE SHERIFF PULLED OUT HIS GUN AND POINTED IT DOWN ACROSS THE TABLE WITH HIS FINGER ON THE TRIGGER. HE SAYS HE LATER TOOK THE REMARKS AS A SERIOUS THREAT, DAVID TOLD HIM, DON'T EVER REPEAT THAT AGAIN. THE SERGEANT WILL BE BACK ON THE STAND WHEN TESTIMONY RESUMES IN